100 Best Colleges: Green Methodology

How'd we calculate our green ratings? Read on to find out.

This rating, on a scale of 60-99, provides a comprehensive measure of a school's performance as an environmentally aware and prepared institution. Specifically, it includes 1) whether students have a campus quality of life that is both healthy and sustainable 2) how well a school is preparing students for employment in the clean energy economy of the 21st century and for citizenship in a world now defined by environmental concerns and opportunities, and 3) how environmentally responsible a school's policies are.

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We asked schools to answer several questions about their efforts to provide and continually develop an environmentally beneficial student experience. The questions were developed in consultation with ecoAmerica, a research and partnership-based environmental nonprofit that convened an expert committee to design this comprehensive ranking system. Questions it covers include…

• Whether the school has a formal committee with participation from students that is devoted to advancing sustainability on campus?

• Whether new buildings are required to be LEED Silver certified or comparable?

• The schools overall waste diversion rate?

• Whether the school has an environmental studies major, minor or concentration?

• Whether the school has an 'environmental literacy' requirement?

• Whether a school has produced a publicly available greenhouse gas emissions inventory and adopted a climate action plan consistent with 80% greenhouse gas reductions by 2050 targets?

• What percentage of the school's energy consumption, including heating/cooling and electrical, is derived from renewable resources ( this definition included 'green tags' but not nuclear or large scale hydro power)

Note: Colleges that did not supply answers to a sufficient number of the green college questions for us to fairly compare them to other colleges receive a Green Rating of 60*. The schools have an opportunity to update their green data every year and will have their green ratings re-calculated and published annually.